Smartphones and app stores have opened up the way for lots of new functionality we never knew we needed in our pockets. Some developers have taken the concept of using your phone for more than just communication with others a little bit further by combining it with other gadgets.

One such project is called Thimble, and has been developed by design students Erik Hedberg and Zack Bennet at the University of Washington. It’s a glove that fits on the index finger of a visually impaired person. On the tip is a small camera lens that can scan text which is then converted to braille using the processing power contained in your smartphone. That braille readout is then sent as pulses to the finger glove so the wearer can read what is written down.

At the moment it’s only a concept, but if converted into a saleable product, it could mean much easier reading of signs and text when out and about for anyone who has a vision problem.

There’s not much detail beyond the basic concept at the moment, but we’re impressed by the idea.

The Thimble glove would need its own battery, and a wireless connection to a smartphone probably done via Bluetooth. There would also need to be some kind of feedback for the wearer trying to scan text as they would have no idea of text size or location on a page. I’m not sure how that would be handled, or would it just be left to the person to figure out?

I think the final product may end up being a full glove, or at least have a strap added to make it more secure on the finger. In its current state it could easily get knocked off or come loose when grabbing on to something. One thing is certain though, this is a good idea and one we hope is taken beyond the concept stage.